Questlove Directing ‘Saturday Night Live’ 50th Anniversary Music Documentary

Next October, Saturday Night Live will officially reach the 50th anniversary of its very first episode. But celebrations of the milestone started months ago with the premiere of season 50 and the release of Saturday Night in September. They’ll continue into the new year with the four-part docuseries SNL50: Beyond Saturday Night and the newly-announced feature-length documentary Ladies & Gentlemen … 50 Years of SNL Music.

The musical history of Saturday Night Live is nearly as storied as its sketches. Questlove will direct the three-hour-long feature, scheduled to premiere on Jan. 27. It marks his first feature-length release since the Grammy and Academy Award-winning documentary Summer of Soul arrived in 2021. The musician and filmmaker will combine archival footage and interviews with past musical guests, cast members, writers, producers, and more to shape a comprehensive story of the SNL musical legacy.

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“Everyone knows the most famous SNL appearances, whether it’s Elvis Costello, Prince or the Beastie Boys, but they’re the tip of a huge iceberg,” Questlove shared in a statement. “The process of going back through the incredible archival footage was like being in a time machine, DeLorean or other. I’m so happy I went on the trip and now get to share it with everyone.”

Ladies & Gentlemen … 50 Years of SNL will feature appearances from Bad Bunny, Billie Eilish and Finneas, Miley Cyrus, Dave Grohl, Olivia Rodrigo, Chris Stapleton, Justin Timberlake, Mick Jagger, Elvis Costello, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, Kacey Musgraves, and Jack White. Other listed artists who have spent at least one Saturday night performing on the show include Dua Lipa, DJ Breakout, Debbie Harry and Chris Stein, Tom Morello, MC Sha-Rock, Paul Simon, and Lee Ving.

Show creator Lorne Michaels will also provide commentary in the documentary alongside Fred Armisen, Conan O’Brien, Jimmy Fallon, Bill Hader, Eddie Murphy, Andy Samberg, Kenan Thompson, Maya Rudolph, and Bowen Yang. Eli Brueggemann, Jane Curtin, Al Franken, Josiah Gluck, Steve Higgins, Marci Klein, Melanie Malone, Tom Malone, Mary Ellen Matthews, and Ego Nwodim will also appear, among others.

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